Ieok and steel dibectly



` (No Model.) l 4Sheets-Sheet 1. H. C. BULL.

APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING IRON AND STEEL DIRECTLY FROM THB ORE. No.282,266. Patented Jly 31. 1883.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

H. C. BULL. APPARATUS PoR MANUFACTURING TRON AUDV STEEL UIREUTLY PROMTEEORE.

No. 282,266. l Patented July 31. 188s.

V V V 1f AVI V V 1T A y PH H il H 4 Sheets-Sheet. 3:

(No Model.) A

H. C. BULL. APPARATUS PUB. MANUFACTURING IRON AND STEBLVDIRBTLY PRoM THBORB.

Patented July 31. 1883.

Eli

I jmvenof. @W7 C 'uf y 4 Sheets-Sheet; 4.

(No Model.)

H. C. BULL.

. APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING IRON AND STEEL DIREUTLY FROM THE ORE.

Patented July 31. 1883.

jnvmzzor: #lu/7 @#7 We.' /57 WL' e Jef.'

' v UNITED. STATES PATENT", OFFICE.- V

HENRY OLAY BULL, OE LIVERPOOL, OOIINTY OEfI-IANOAs-TER, ENGLAND,

SAME PLACE.

APPARATUS Fon MANUFACTURING IRON AND STEEL DlREc-ILY FROM THE OEE.

` SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 282,268, dated Julyl31, 1883.

I' Application filed November 20, (Nojnqdel.) Patentedjn England April13, 1882, No. 1,763; in France May 20, 1882; in Belgium May 22. 1882; inGermany May 30, 1882, No. 22,984, and in Austria September 9. 1882, No.18,684. g

.lo all whom ,it may concern: v

" I, Be it known that I, HENRY CLAY BULL, a citizen of the UnitedStates, but 4at present residing at the city of Liverpool, in the countyof Lancaster, in that part of the United Kingdom of Greatl Britain andIreland called England, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Apparatus to be Used in the Manufacture of Iron andSteel directly from the Ore', (for which I have obtained a patent 'inGreat Britain, No. 1,763, bearing date 'April 13, 1882; also in Franceon May 20, 1882; in `Belgium on- May 22,1882; in Austria application forpatent forfourteen years, patented May 30, 1882; in Germany applicationfor patent dated May 30, 1882;) and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a description of Iny invention in such ffull, clear, and.distinct language as to enable any one skilled in the art to which itbelongs to put the same into practice, reference being had to the sheetsof drawings hereto annexed, and to the letters and figures of referencemarked thereon, like letl cessory appliances constructed and arrangedaccording tomy invention. Fig. 2 is'an end elevation of thevalves andconduits and heating-stoves -shown at Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a secl tionalelevation, .showing the internal con- Y struction of the heating-stove.Fig. 4 is an end view of the gas-producers and their'accessory parts.

tion through X X, Fig. 1.V Fig. 6' is a plan view.

' My inventionconsists' of'certainnew and useful improvements inapparatus to be-used in the' manufacture of viron and steel directly,from the ore, the Ipoints of novelty in said appaiatus being designatedby the-claims concluding. this specification.

p According to my Invention I construct the blast-furnace A as showninthe drawings, the

'upper part of the furnace being built of ordi.-

f ters and figures beingused to denote the same* Fig'. 5 is aplan takenin sec-4 nary-iire-brick within a common brick lining surrounded by'acasing, A', having a bottomI plate-A?, held by brackets, as shown indottedV lines, there being spaces left lbetween the fnebrick and thecommon brick, or equivalent' substance, and between the common brick andthe'casing, the whole structure being supporthearth and crucible portionC from the superposed weight'of the upper portion.

I construct the hearth and refractory lining .forming the crucible Cthus: Between the casing C', which forms the outer shell, and an inr,terionmetal Inold ofthe shape ofthe crucible O, I'rm'a concretecompenser-0I freshly.-4

burned lime, or any substance possessing the same properties, with aboutten per cent.'of

silica sand, mixed with tar, Oil, or other substance which willevaporate from the concrete and escape through openings or intersticesin the outer casing, C', ,without ,permitting the lining to shrink orcrack. This lining C is subjected to an intense heat sufficient to meltout the inner 'meta-l mold. This operati-on' bakes the lining into avery solid `substance before the furnace A` is put into blast. Theair-tuyere D,'and the gas-tuyeres EE, andthe tapping-opening F areformed in the hearth in the manner usual to blast-furnaces. This methodof relieving the refractory lining C from the weight of the upperportion of the furnace A enables me to use the above-describeds'ubstance for the lining of the Crucible and hearth of the furnace.This orsimilar substance, although capable of standing the most .intenseheat, will support verylittle weight. By my construction, through thefurnace A being supported independently of the x Incopverting ordinaryblast-furnaces to asv similare tb those f inyinvention it' is only'necessary to alter the hearth -C and support portion of the furnace Aas just described.

' In the further carrying out of my inventionl I erecta chamber, .G,.forming a calciningoven, linedl with fire brick or equivalent sub-.stance directly over the charging-opening-H of the blast-furnace whichopening'I-I may jackets, (not shown in the drawings) to pro# ing-oven Gis openat the top for feeding the I vbe fitted with a bell, hand cup h',as shown. The bell h and cup h are supplied with water,

tect them from the heat. The lower portion y of the calcining-oven G isprovided with openingsg, for the admission of atmospheric air,

and during theloperation oil calcining the bell Yis slightly opened, so,as `to admit suincient wastelgas from -theifurnace A tocause, incombination with the atmospheric 'airl vadmitted through -the opening g,a combustion just above thebell h and the cup h. The calciucharge andfor the escape lof -the aqueous va'- i pors givenoi fromthe charge whilecalcining.

By this means the' ore and `linx are delivered into the furnace Ain adry and highly-heated state without additionallabor and cost of fuel.and therefore the waste gases-l-given off from the furnace A a'recomparatively free from ducing anfintense heat by their combustion inthe air-heating stoves. The eect of calcining and drying the o'reprevious to its entering into the furnace A is to' remove the zone-ofpreparation'fr'oni thefur ceA.a1 1d tov raise the zonel of productionvery high in the furnaeeA, thus considerably increasing the quantity ofmetal v'given time. 4 v y In the further carrying out'of my invention Ireverse the usual construction and working 1 lofthe-nair-stovesJ-namely, instead' of forming the combustion-chamber at the bottom oflthe' Lvstove J, as done inthe' Whitwell and Cooper fstove, I form thecombustion-chamber K`(s'ee Fig. 3) atrtheltop ofv the'stove-J. 4By

.this'means the brick-work of the combustionchamber K and the bricksused to absorb the y heat are "relieved lfrom the weight of the mainbrick-work of the stove J. The intense heat which Irequire renders thebrick-work of the .combustion-chamber K very weak, and if such-heat'wereused at the bottom of the column of brick-work the brick-workwould crushin;

but by my arrangement thisdiiculty is overcome, and that portion of thestove J which is subjected to an intense heat has to support' dustboxvery little weight; The waste gases from the Y -v blast-furnac'eAarethus led to the combustionchamber. K of the 'stove J --namelyLthroughpassages into the conduit L', which is provided with a reliefchimney,L', for surplus gases, and a valve, Iwhich gives communication to theaqueous vapor, and are'thus capable of `pro-- produced'froma furnace ina' and from thence to the vcombus, iden-'chambers Kof the heating-stovesJ, 'through the conduit M and valves M. -Air air mainjOa, .the valves yI from thence through the valves Os into the;V

the stove J through the safetyvalve Nat the top of the stove J, for thepurpose of supporting the combustion of the said waste gasesin the com!bustion-chamber K. The flames resulting from this combustion passdownward through the stove J, which is niilled with brick-work, and i J.The air passes up through the heated brick-work in the stove, and passestherefrom is admitted into the combustion-chamber K of is also closed iin'a lheated state through the valve 02 into the main' O3. `,The heated'air is led (from the main Oto the hearth C -of thefurnace A through thetuyere D. The supply can be throttled at the tuyere by a valve, asshown.`

By preference four of the hot-air stoves J are used, three of which areconstantly under the 'process of heating, while one is giving up thestored heat 'to the air passing up through it.

In iheu'rther carrying out of my'invention f Ijconstruct thegas-producers thus: Each gas- Y producer, ofv which there may be a groupof n eight, consists of two chambers, P P, suitably lined withbrick-work. The chamber P is filled with` coal, coke, or othercarbonaceous material, which' is ignited and lbrought `to an inf tenseheat by a blast of hot air from the hot- 4 into the hot-air conduit O5,and

nd delivered by branches through chambers4 'P. Each chamber P provided-fwith alcupand bell, Q, for renewingrthe 5.

charge'of carbonaceous` material, and with' a metal box, R, atthebotto'm, provided' with tumbling door for withdrawing the cinderbringing it down in aliquid state. The sec- Ywhich 'collects in the saidbox, the hot air ond chamber, P', of the gas-producer is filledA withfire-brick orJ equivalent substance, and is.

provided with a combustion-chamber, P2,- the same as inl the air-heatingstoves, at its top. i

top through .the pipe P?, I communicates at the bottom through thevalvePito the main Pfand thenceto the'tuyere The two chambers, P P',communicate at the rIhe chamber P' ,Thejchamber P communicates atthebottomth'rough a valve, P5, with the main P6, toa chimney orequivalentoutlet.

S is a steam-main, which supplies steam from.

'leef-iisg 'A a steam-generator throughthe valves Sto the bottom ofthechambers P. p y i T is a safety-valve, through whichair is lmittedinto the combustion-chamber P2, as-

sist combustion therein. l

The-operation of the gas-producer is as 'iolf lowszThe'- carbona'ceousmaterial in the chamv I hot-air supply to the chamber P 3o becomescarbonio` oxide,

withhotair. I g tensely-hot gas isniaintained through the berP `beingignited, the hot airtpasses. up

through Asuch 'carbonaceous material in the chamber P, imparts to it awhite incandescence,

and the gasespgiven off are led through. the 5 pipe P3 into thecombustion-chamber P2 of the chamber P, and ai-r is admitted,A throughthe safety-valveT into the chamber P2, where combustion takes place, andthe heat therefrom,

passing down through t-hebrickwork filling of d io the chamber P',brings Sucli brick-work to an in- `tenseheat, the gases eventuallypassing through'- "the valve l?3 and theinain P, from whence they Y areled away... Vhen, the brick-work in the chamber P has becomesufficiently heated,th/e is'shut 0E by and theescape from the isalsoshutoff by Iclosing the valve The safety-`valve T vis also closed, and

closing fthe valve O, chamber P P5.

` steam underpressure is then admitted 'through co the valves into thebottom of the chamber P',

andsuch steam, passing up through 4theintensely-'heatedbrick-wo1k,becomes highly superheated',*and in tha-t condition enters'the chamber P, 'and,passin g downthroughthe in 25 candescentcarbonaceous material'therein, re-

sults in the generation of a gas composed chiefly. -of hydrogen andcarbonio acid, and in. passing throughthe incandescent carbon thecarbonio acid takes up another equivalent of carbon and driven by thedirect steam-pressure through the valve Pt, which is'opened into thegasmain 'P7, and fromthence.through.,the tuyere E to' the crucibleC ofthe blastfurnaceAfwhere it 55 arrives in a highly-heated state, owingtothe f fact :that the steam has been `intensely superheated in thechamber P, and also 'tothe in; candescent carbon in the chamber P beingat an intense heat, lthrough its havingbeen blown Thus a' A constantstream' of intuyeres E and mingles'withthe'hot-air supply from thetuyere D, thus supporting combustion, a'constant stream o'fhot gas beingmaintained'and driven intothe crucible C Without the intervention of.forcing appliances. .Y Any suitable Iumber ofgas-producers thus`described maybe used,` one or more of which is always beingg-evivedbygenerationlof'heat,

5o while the'gas from the others is being used in' the blast-furnace A.

Thefollowing isa description in detail `of the construction of thevarious parts.

The hot-airstoves, valves, and conduits-The 4stoves are built with4 afire-.brick or equivalent lining, surrounded by'a common or equivalentbrick casing within a metal cfasing, spacesA be'-N .'in'gleft' betweenthe lining 'and the` common v .brick and the metal casing., The liningsare io supportedv by a perforated metal grid, U, upon whichtheinterspaced brickwork which fills 'the stove is built. The valves at thetop-of the stoves .are opened' and closed by a screw .and-worm gear, V.All the conduits and valve- 5'\casings usedvj'to 'convey heated' airfrom the stoves to theblast-furnaceA and to the gaswhich gas 'is thenproducers P are lined with iloirconducting materials, as shown in thedrawings, and the valve-seats,- where requisite, are water-lined- Theqasjroduem-S, valves, and c0nduz'ts.-The chambers P are .constructedwith'a filling of fire-brick or equivalent material, surround` ore'quii-'alent casing ed by acommon brick anda metal casing,'spaccs beingleft between f. the lining and the common brick `and between the commonbrick and-the'metal casing. The chamber P is provided with a metal grid,TV,

at the bottom, which is. used to support the loose bricklworkwith whichthechamber is filled. The dconduits and valveslwhich convey the gasfromthe producers tothe blast-furnace are lined with non-conductingmaterials, i

as shown lin the drawings.

In Working the direct process according to`,V

my invention the charge in the furnace A is maintained at differentVheights to produce different amounts of carbon in the metal. The carbonin the metal is derived from the carbonic .oxide in the gas, which isascending from the hearth Cthrough the ore in the furnace A,reducing'the ore to a metallic state and impregnating the metal withcarbon. To.

produce metal with different percentages of f carbon, inbrder to makethevarious grades of f to vary the height ficient heatis maintained in .the4hearth Q of i the ,furnace-A to keep metalin Va fluid state when itiscomparatively free-from carbon, so.- that in that state it can bewithdrawnfrom y the furnace A and cast into ingots.4

The operation of y my process of manufacturing iron or steel isaspfollows: The furnace A is put to work, as an ordinary blast-furnace,

with coal, coke, or charcoal, hotair beingA blown inthroughtheair-tuyere -D, which in j l this case is preferably in rear ofthe furnace. -Ylhen all Vis working correctly, gas in ahighlyheatedstate, made as before. described, is forced -into thefurnace, preferably from two tuyeres, E

E, o n opposite sides of the furnace A, and the coal, coke, or charcoal-is gradually removed L until the class of metal produced is of thequal,l ity required. When it is required to produce metals' very low incarbon, suitable for bilerplates and like purposes, all ofthe coal,coke, or charcoal is removed, and then the height of the charge islowered inthe furnace A until the" metal produced is of the 4qualitydesired. VBy removing the coal, coke, yor charcoal from ntheblast-furnaceA it is relieved from the zone ofI gasification, and thusprevents the great reduction in temperature which ltakes place in anordinary blast-furnace. When the carbonio facid'producedfby thecombustion-.of the fuel s else isreconvert-ed int-o carbonio oxide bycontact with the incandescent coal, coke, or charcoal in thefurnaceusing the gas and air -in the" 'beforeldescrbed highly-heatedstate reduces the quantity of air required to'be forced into the furnaceA in order to maintain the neces` sary temperature, reducing; the volumeof nitrogen to a minimum. f l v 'Having now described myj improvedprocess, as a wlrole,of manufacturing iron and steel directly from theore, and also the entire apparatus employed by me ini the practice ot'said process, I claim as my invention the following features of noveltyin said process and apparatus: i 1,. Inan apparatus to be used intheabovedescribed process of manuiacturing iron and steel directly fro'mthe ore, the combination of a2 blast-furnace, A, with a caleining-oven,G, lia-ving bell. l1, provided with means for admitting` gas and air,said oven being` placed directlyion top of the blast-furnace, and heatedpartlyY by the combustion in said furnace and partly by the combustionin said oven, supported by the u'nion of atmospheric air with the Wastegases generated ini said furnace, substantially as described. t

2. In an apparatus -to be used in the abovedescribed process ofmanufacturing iron and steel directly from the ore, the combination ofaI blast-furnace, A, calcining-oven G, provided `with air-inlets g g,and a bell, J1, aroun'dwyhich top of said blast-furnace, substantiallyas described, for the purpose speeiiied, I

3. In an apparatus to be used in thev abovedescribed process ofmanufacturing iron and 1 1 and calcining-oif'en G, provided with meansfor admitting gas and air, in combination with liotf air stoves J, inwhich a portion of .the dry Waste gases from the saidffurnace is unitedv with atmospheric air tand ignited, substantially asdescribed, for thepurpose specied. -45

l I. Inan apparatus to be used in the above-- g described process ofmanuiacturing 'iron and steel directlyT from the pre, the combination ofla blast-furnace, A, air-stoves J, and gas-producers I P', connected bysuitable pipesl and valves, as described, one part of the superheatedair issuing' from said stoves being` utilized to furnish "t1'1e hotairblast.` to the said furnace, and theother part to furnish the blast tothe producers, substantially as described. Y y l i' 5. In an apparatusto be usedin the abovedescribed process of Vinanufact-uring iron andsteel directly from the ore, the'combination of a blast-furnace, A,calcining-o\-'enG, provided 6o with means for admitting gas and air,heated as I described, air-'stoves J, and gas-producers- P Pl. allco-operating substantially as described. for the purpose speciiieds yHENRYA CLAY BULL.

\Vit-nesses:

YAUGHAN 'WALDRON J oNEs,v

1 lHac-ins Hey, Liverpool; FREDERICK JoHN'GHEEsBRoUGH,

15 ll'ater Street, Lirep'nol -steel directly from the ore, ablast-furnace, A,

